The Duchess and the Dominatrix: February

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DutchessDominatrixI was recently in a relationship where we minimized disagreement to avoid conflict. Then things blew up. How much disagreement is healthy?
—Passive Pamela

How much disagreement is healthy? How much disagreement can you resolve? I know some couples who have disagreements all the time but they are able to talk to each other and work it out.
It sounds like what you need to do is be more honest with your partner and yourself about things when they bother you instead of just brushing it off and then blowing up later. I am a firm believer in safewords and although this is not really the traditional use, a safeword can be useful in this situation.
If something is bothering you, use your safeword, stop what you are doing, take the time to talk about what is bothering you, and get it resolved.
—Captain Dominatrix

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Horoscopes: Drunk and Lonely

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Aries (March 21 – April 19): I see chocolate in your future. Preface those crunch bars with some crunches! Hit up the gym in preparation.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20): A big due date approaches. Step up the pace in the home stretch to beat your high score. Beef up your defense to score a three pointer in the final inning!

Gemini (May 21 – June 20): Get cracking on those resolutions. Quit your bad habits and start some good ones. Subtle nail polish discourages nail biting. Sticking to a routine cuts down on procrastination.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): Your SO is thinking about dumping you. Break up with them first so you don’t feel like a loser. (See D&D column)

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Qualified: Public vs Private

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Were you part of the 66% of Olin students who felt unqualified at some point during your first year at Olin? Have you ever blamed your high school background for not preparing you enough for Olin? Similar questions have been asked by multiple U.S. colleges. Interestingly enough, different studies show extremely different results for these controversial topics. A study published by the U.S. Center on Education Policy found that when comparing students who had attended private and public high schools, there was no difference in achievement tests, college attendance rates, or job satisfaction in later years. Essentially, this study found that the difference between a private and public high school education didn’t matter much in the long run.

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Popping the Olin Bubble: December Edition

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11/1 Cuban President Raul Castro said that the city of Santiago “looked like it had been bombed” after Hurricane Sandy hit.

11/2 Andrew Lloyd Weber announced he would donate over $600,000 to arts education projects across the UK.

11/3 Cuba accused the US of helping Cuban dissidents access the internet.

11/4 Syrian opposition groups held a first day of talks in Qatar. They hoped to shape the Syrian National Council into a possible government in exile.

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Green Space: December

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greenSpaceSwarm Theory & Sustainability: What does it take to be sustainable? Top-down political action? Bottom-up grass-roots movements? More electric vehicles? These approaches are all too narrow. As I see it, the direction of the global human society is the weighted sum of each individual decision.

This concept is swarm theory applied to sustainability: like fish in a school, each individual bases actions on a small set of rules, and individual actions move the group. The mass’s direction is determined by initial conditions and the values held by each unit. Embedding the necessary tenets is the role of education, both formal and otherwise.

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A Candid Conversation with Charlie Nolan

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Charlie Nolan was the fifth employee of Olin College and its founding Dean of Admission. Though he took three years off to help manage Admissions at Santa Clara University in California (2003-2006), he’s been an Oliner since 1999. He has been working in admissions for more than forty years, and holds a doctorate degree in higher education administration. Although he has worked at Boston College, Washington University, Babson, and other locations, he says his biggest challenge was coming to Olin and starting a school from scratch.

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Horoscopes by Drunk Editors

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Aries (March 21-April 19): You’re close! Run fast, get through finals and sleep.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): You could use some pizzaz this month. A moustache or bow tie would suit you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): Don’t despair, there’s always tomorrow. The moon guides your progress this month.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): Your friends are there to help you dig for the treasure. Don’t slack off. This booty be worth it!

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The Duchess and the Dominatrix: December

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DutchessDominatrixI’m really stressed out by the end of the semester! How can I get my work done but not feel terrible all the time?
— Frazzled Fran

Sometimes it is helpful to work in a group of people to have people you are accountable to. Agree on a few breaks at specific times in advance and if you or your friends get off task before it’s time for a break, slap each other in the face. It can be helpful to do a few practice slaps beforehand so you know how hard to hit.
—Captain Dominatrix

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